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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26308939">By Your Bedside</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassieWolfe/pseuds/CassieWolfe'>CassieWolfe</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>In the Shadows (Dark Batfam Au) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Batfamily (DCU), Gen, Minor Injuries, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Tim Drake, Sharing a Bed, Tired Tim Drake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 10:22:11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,025</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26308939</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassieWolfe/pseuds/CassieWolfe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Tim Drake is sleep deprived, his brothers are way too amused, and Bruce technically exists, even if you wouldn't guess it reading this.</p><p>Also, Tim apologizes to a door.</p><p>Formerly part of my story Things that Lurk in the Shadows, but cut due to not fitting the theme.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Tim Drake &amp; Dick Grayson &amp; Jason Todd &amp; Bruce Wayne &amp; Damian Wayne, Tim Drake &amp; Dick Grayson &amp; Jason Todd &amp; Damian Wayne</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>In the Shadows (Dark Batfam Au) [3]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1911553</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>729</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>By Your Bedside</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This used to be part of Things that Lurk in the Shadows, but it was more fluff and less introspection, so I changed my mind and made it part of a series.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Timothy Drake-Wayne tapped at his laptop, curled uncomfortably in a plastic hospital chair. The beeping of the heart monitor made it hard to focus, worry making him hit the keys harder than necessary. He hated this. In Tim's humble opinion, there was nothing worse than hospital vigils.</p><p>Okay, he could probably have left – Bruce would be fine – but that wasn't how the Bats did things. When one was hurt, the victim's room would be crowded with family until he woke up to chase them out personally.</p><p>To this end, Tim would endure a hospital chair. Dick sat in the other one, while Jason leaned against the edge of the open window and Damian lay atop the bed, curled into his father. Jay was reading, of course. Shaking his head, Tim wondered, not for the first time, about his brother. Surely no sane person would read <em>The Complete Works of Shakespeare</em> once, let alone six times. Then again, this was the man who shanked a guy for interrupting him in the middle of <em>Pride and Prejudice</em>, so normal standards didn't really apply.</p><p>Dick, on the other hand, appeared to be texting someone – probably Wally or Conner – with intense focus. Suddenly sitting up straight, he exclaimed to the room in general, "This... is vital. Where can I find a cow, duct tape and ten pounds of explosives?"</p><p>The room did not respond. Jason stared with delighted horror, while Tim repeatedly thumped his head against the wall. "Richard," Damian said reproachfully. "Why would you want such items?"</p><p>“Well, the cow is a decoy, and then we place the explosives on the roof of...”</p><p>Tim tuned out his brothers as they began to bicker quietly, Jason inserting the occasional comment designed to spur the two on. It wasn't like it was unusual – when bored, the Bats defaulted to arguing to pass the time. Tim, however, wasn't bored. He was working on a vital case! Okay, so he was working on a minor case that would likely never be solved, but still. It was important... very... very... important...</p><p>Jerked rudely awake, Tim stared up at his brother's scowling face.</p><p>“Mm... wha' you doin', Dami'? I wa' sleepin'.”</p><p>“Drake. Father is awake, and cleared to be brought home. Richard thought you might appreciate not being left here overnight, though if it were up to me, I would leave you here to catch some fatal disease.”</p><p>“Charmin' as eve', I see,” Tim said blearily, struggling to his feet. Despite his words, Damian hovered beside him, reaching out to steady Tim when he swayed and nearly fell. As soon as he was safely ensconced in the car, nestled between Damian and Jason, he leaned against Jay's side and closed his eyes again. Jason wrapped an arm around him, while Dick reached across Dami's shoulders to thread a hand into Tim's messy hair.</p><p>That was what it meant to be a Bat, after all: never being alone. Always being supported. Smiling, Tim let himself drift off into a light doze, listening to Jay's breathing and heartbeat. When he awoke again, they were pulling in at the manor.</p><p>“...so then <em>I</em> said, you can't just lock them in there, that's inhumane,” Dick was ranting, “and <em>he</em> said, is it any better to kill them, and <em>I</em> said we don't kill that often, just the really bad ones, and <em>he</em> said – oh, hey, Timmy. You're awake. I was just telling Jay, Kid Flash has the <em>weirdest</em> morals-”</p><p>“Tha's nice, Di'. Come o', I wanna go t' sleep.”</p><p>Was Dick laughing at him? Dick was. Dick was laughing at him. Well, that wasn't very fair.</p><p>“Shu' up. Sto' laughin' or I'll te' Alfie' you're th' one who ate all th' cookies 'e made fo' my bir'day.”</p><p>With what appeared to be great effort, Dick managed a straight face.</p><p>“How long has it been since you slept, Tim-Tam?” Jason asked, sounding worried.</p><p>“Li' fi' minu's,” Tim answered, peering up at his brother in concern. Had he forgotten already? Should he have been checked out at the hospital too?</p><p>Patiently, Jason corrected, “I mean before that? Long enough for REM,” he added when Tim would speak.</p><p>“...dunno,” Tim finally concluded. “Wha' day's i'?”</p><p>Shaking his head, Jason exchanged a look with Dick. “Come on, baby bird. Let's get you to bed.”</p><p>Nodding amicably, Tim made his way toward the door. His three brothers watched in bemusement as he walked straight into the door, apologized at length, backed up, and walked into it again. Then, annoyed, he began scolding it, fumbling at the handle. After several minutes of scathing reprimands on the door's poor manners, Dick took pity on him and opened the door for him, though not before taking out his phone and recording the entire incident.</p><p>For Tim, everything had become a haze. It wasn't quite true that he didn't know how long it had been, but everything seemed a bit blurry as of four days ago. He wasn't sure which brother was leading him, but so long as they were heading for a bed, or better yet a coffee machine, he didn't really care.</p><p>After what seemed like far too long, he collapsed into something comfortable and yielding. Hands tugged off his clothes and replaced them with a soft shirt and pyjama pants, and he distantly noted several people flopping into bed beside him, but by that time he was fast asleep.</p><p>Tim awoke to sunlight streaming in the windows. Slowly dragging himself from sleep, he surveyed the room. Apparently he wasn't in his bed, but in Bruce's – not unusual; it was an uncommon night that the Bats didn't all end up in B's room – with Damian's hand clutching his shirt from across the bed, Dick lying diagonally on his legs and Bruce's chest, and Jason's arm wrapped firmly around his waist.</p><p>Smiling happily, Tim let himself drift drowsily, safely huddled among his family. Soon enough, Alfred would come in to wake them for breakfast. He'd reluctantly get up and face the day, but for now, he was safe. Bruce was safe; Dick and Jason were safe; Damian was safe. He didn't need to worry any more.</p>
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